


Spirit In The Sky

by TheGoodDoctor



Series: Group Targets [18]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Cosplay, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 06:35:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8317588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGoodDoctor/pseuds/TheGoodDoctor
Summary: "So, who are we going as next year?"





	

Gareth has to admit, it is quite a good costume. Bill looks delighted. He stretches out one bark- covered arm hesitantly, watching the curious rubbery substance twist with his wrist. Gareth wiggles his fingers and the leaves flutter.

“Tell me you don't love it, I dare you.” Bill is bouncing on his toes with excitement.

Gareth sighs with a rustle of plastic leaves. “I love it,” he says, smiling reluctantly.

Bill grins. “Come on, then, we've got to get the train.”

The underground is slightly harder to navigate as a humanoid tree, but Groot-Gareth manages reasonably well. It helps that Bill has their oyster cards in a pocket he sewed into his MC Hammer-style trousers, but they get a lot of odd looks. Bill slips seamlessly into character, slightly hunching his shoulders to make his swagger more threatening and swinging his fists. This also has the effect of making his grey-painted skin and orange tattoos more noticeable, but his responses to all their comments are very Drax the Destroyer.

Gareth is trying his best, but solemnly informing everyone that he is Groot while Bill takes everything very literally keeps making him want to laugh.

By the time they reach the right station, they have quite the collection of interested commuters testing their character immersion, but have also joined the crowd of other sweaty, cosplaying nerds and feel much less alone.

Inside the Excel centre all is chaos; people everywhere, in everything from casual shirts and jeans to serious mechanical Iron Man suits. Gareth is slightly overwhelmed, but cannot help but return the infectious grin Bill breaks character to give him. He allows himself to be dragged around the convention, stopping every so often so that they can be photographed.

Bill is admiring some dragon-themed notebooks when a man taps them on the shoulder. “Hi, um, can I take your photo?” he says nervously.

Bill nods, grinning, before pulling a suitably Drax-like expression. Gareth assumes his tree form and the man ushers in a lady in an excellent Gamora outfit; one of the more accurate cosplays at the convention. She nods at them, and then they take the photograph.

The man thanks them, beaming, and leaves. Bill pretends to look her up and down suspiciously, while she fusses with her nails. “So,” she says, “Drax and Groot, huh?”

Bill pulls himself up to his full height. “Your father killed my family!”

She twirls her weapon and Bill puts his fists up. “I am Groot,” Gareth says, feeling that he hasn't contributed enough to their impromptu film recreation.

Both Bill and Gamora collapse into giggles. Bill pats Gareth’s shoulder, who smiles bemusedly back. “I'm Bill, this is Gareth.”

“Eve,” she says, smiling. “Wanna hang out?”

* * *

Eve disappears for a moment before returning to the pair with a young man in tow dressed as Rocket. “This is Q,” she says proudly, making quick introductions.

Q smiles awkwardly, but before he has a chance to say anything, someone wants a photo.

“Sorry,” the girl says, “can I get Groot and Rocket together? Thanks.”

Q shuffles over to stand beside Gareth, who looks him up and down calculatingly. Without any warning, he reaches down and scoops Q up onto his hip. He yelps, but hangs on.

The girl takes her picture and beams at them all. “Thank you! That was perfect!”

“Sorry for sweeping you off your feet,” Gareth says.

Q looks at Gareth, face suddenly much closer than before. “Oh but Gareth, this is all so sudden,” he says mildly.

* * *

James doesn't really stand a chance when the other four Guardians spot the missing member of their team. The stampede hits him just as someone is setting up their photo, and the only warning he gets is the excited widening of the small boy's eyes before they flank him.

“What took you so long?” he says, grinning.

“I am Groot,” Gareth says reproachfully.

James pats his arm. “Sure, big guy.”

Q throws up his arms and clambers up onto Gareth’s back. “Great, now we're all here to stand in a line. Five weirdos, in a line.”

It's possible that the little boy might just explode from excitement.

* * *

James wanders around with them for the rest of the day. At one point, they come across a Thanos.

“My arch enemies!” he calls from across the hall.

“Oh!” James yells, leading his new friends in a charge towards him. “It is on!”

A loose ring is formed by the crowd, the cosplayers in the middle, cameras flashing from all sides. Thanos strikes a pose. “Dance off. Come at me.”

Eve snaps her fingers. “Come on, if you think you're hard enough.”

* * *

Bill collapses on the floor near the cafe, all the seats taken. “Ugh.”

Eve prods him with her foot. “I think it's broken.”

“All right down there?” Q says unconcernedly.

“I went a bit hard in the dance off. I may never be the same again,” Bill groans.

James grins. “Sure showed him, though. He'll never challenge us again.”

Bill sits up, taking a cup of tea from Gareth. “Well, no; we might never see each other again, let alone him.”

Gareth pulls a face. “Alright, Mister Downer. Don't be too upbeat.”

Bill flips him off and Q laughs. “He's not wrong, though,” he says. “What do we do now?”

James shrugs, sobering. He gazes around him at the laughing, dressed-up kids, hears the yelling let’s-play-ers, smells the coffee, sweets and sweat. “I don't know.” He looks back at them. “I just don't know.”

Gareth sighs. “God, it's like we're all about to die. Look,” he says, getting out his phone. “I'll add you all on Facebook, and then we can all stop being melodramatic, all right?”

* * *

“So, who are we going as next year?” James says as they wander slowly towards the train station, sun setting over the Thames.

Eve looks at him, confused. Q shakes his head, sighing.

“I'm serious!” he laughs. “What next?”

Gareth shrugs. “Scooby-Doo?”

“Ooh,” Bill says excitedly, “Bagsy Velma.”

“Who's going to be the dog?” Eve laughs.

“ _The dog?_ ” Q says, incredulous. “His name is Scooby-Doo. Show some respect.”

James grins. “Q, then.”

**Author's Note:**

> I HATE INKTOBER FREE ME.


End file.
